Souvenir Stand – “All I Want to Know”

Feeling a bit down? Let’s take a blast to the past, back to the ’60s when surf-pop was at a peak and girl groups dazzled with their pop infectiousness, inspired by a plethora of surf, soul, and vintage pop influences. Stephanie Cupo, the leader of ’60s-inspired pop project Souvenir Stand, seems to live perpetually within this nostalgia. Her new EP, Days, can be downloaded for free on her Bandcamp, and showcases chipper gems like “All I Want to Know”. While the tugging bells resemble some sort of Christmastime jingle, Cupo’s half-nasally vocals and beautifully adorned piano accompaniments add the ’60s-inspired flair that sounds like a cross of The Beach Boys, The Shangri-Las, and The Ronettes. Even if your weekend starts with a dull rainy landscape, the tracks on Days should help shift optimism to a sunny, beach-filled horizon. This Brian Wilson-loving singer/songwriter has a ton of potential.